Lined window guide channel



Aug. 1, 1967 G. HERR LINED WlNDOW GUIDE CHANNEL Filed March 26, 1964 United States Patent O Claims. (Cl. 49-441) This invention relates to window guide channels adapted to receive the perimetral and marginal areas of sliding window panes and more particularly concerns a novel Window guide channel "simple in structure and inexpensive to manufacture and which has superior sealing and cushioning qualities.

Flexible window guide channels made of nonvolcan ized rubber having a reinforcing metal insert embedded therein and including a generally U-shaped cross-section are well-known in the art. In the interior of such channels there is usually disposed a felted band lining which directly contacts the perimetral and marginal areas of the window pane. The sealing and cushioning properties of the felted lining used heretofore, however, have not been found to be satisfactory. The elasticity of the felted lining is usually insufficient to effect the immediate recuperation of its original shape when exposed to pulses of compression caused by the vibrations of the window pane.

Also, poor elastic qualities of the lining require that the tolerances in the window pane thickness be maintained at a very low order.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide an improved window guide qhannel having superior sealing qualities.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved window guide channel adapted to `sealingly engage the perimetral and marginal areas of window panes without offering excessive frictional resistance to the sliding motion thereof even in the case of significant deviations in the thickness of the pane.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a window guide channel including an elastically yieldable lining having superior recuperating properties.

Briefly stated, the novel window guide channel of generally U-shaped cross-section comprises a reinforcing metal strip embedded into a plastic sheath and to which there is bonded an elastically yieldable lining including a base sheet following the inside contour of the channel and carrying spaced, parallel vcorrugations or loops.

The invention will be better understood when reference is had to the ensuing detailed description in conjunction with the drawing showing an exemplary embodiment of the window guide channels.

FIG. 1 is a cross-section of an embodiment according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section of a lining made of a woven band; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the embodiment of FIG. l shown snapped in place between window trims.

Referring now to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 there is shown a window guide channel of generally U-shaped crosssection having a reinforcing insert 2 embedded in a sheath 4 having upwardly extending parallel legs 30. Integral with the upper portion of each leg `30 there is a canted means which includes a downwardly and outwardly directed sealing lip 7 as well as an upwardly and inwardly directed water-deflecting lip 6. Each of the lips 7 overhangs the legs 30 and is thereby ricc adapted to engage the door trim 12, as shown for example in FIG. 3. The converging lips 6 function as dvater-deectors and, in addition, assist in diminishing wind noises. The lower external portion of each leg 30 is provided with an integral, offstanding, anchoring lip 8 which, when the channel structure is installed, extends in a locking position beneath the bottom edge of door trim 12, as best seen in FIG. 3. For the purpose of improving the stability of the means securing the selflocking profile of sheath 4 to door trim 12, it is further advantageous to provide the external face of the legs 30 with teeth 13, also well shown in FIG. 3.

To the internal face of sheath 4 there is` bonded a lining generally indicated at 29 comprising a base sheet 19 having resiliently deformable spaced loops 32, 33 and 34 on one face, and a thermoplastic coating 10 on its reverse face. It is apparent from FIG. 1 that each of the loops 32, 33 and 34, when viewed in section, straddles portions of base sheet 19 and forms a closed, integral contour therewith. In addition to its bonding action, coating 10 tends to render the base sheet 19 weatherand water-proof and, furthermore, reinforces it in an elastically yieldable manner. Thus, the thermoplastic coating 10 eliminates the necessity of using a reinforcing insert or attachment conventionally secured to textile band linings with the aid of special securing means. The use of lining 29 significantly facilitates the manufacture of the window guide channel, since it eliminates the elaborate task of forming loops from a plain band when bonding it to the sheath 4.

Reference is made now to FIG. 2 which shows in cross-section a particularly woven textile band adapted to be used as lining 29. In this textile band the ground wefts 11, 111 and the warp threads 39 together form the base fabric 1, while the loop wefts 121 and the warp threads 40 together form the loops (e.g. three in number) 32, 33 and 34. The loop wefts 120, 121 are ininterlaced with the base fabric 1 only at locations indicated with reference numerals 25, 26, 27 and 28. Between these locations, and as best shown in FIG. 2, the loop wefts and warps form loops 32, 33 and 34.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be understood that the embodiment is illustrative in nature and that a number of modifications in the apparatus and variations in its use may be effected without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. In a window guide channel of the type having a U- shaped cross-section defining two side portions and an integral interconnecting bottom portion and including lining means inside said channel adapted to receive perimetral and marginal areas of a slidable window pane, the im* provement in said lining means comprising a one-piece base sheet bonded to said side and bottom portions of said channel and following the inside contour thereof along substantially the entire area of said side portions and said bottom portion when viewed in section and a plurality of resiliently deformable loops extending parallel with the length dimension of said channel and protruding inwardly thereof, each of said loops straddling portions of said base sheet and forming a closed, integral contour therewith when viewed in section, at least one of` said loops being disposed on each said side portions and medially of said bottom portion to directly contact said marginal and said perimetral areas of said window pane.

2. A window guide channel according to claim 1, wherein said lining means comprises a textile band including a base fabric carrying a plurality of longitudinal,

p parallel, spaced loops secured to one face thereof, said base fabric being made of first warps and ground wefts, said loops being made of second warps and loop wefts, said last-named Warps and wefts being interlaced with said base fabric at spaced, parallel locations.

3. A window guide channel according to claim 2, wherein said base fabric is provided with a bondable plastic coating on its face opposite from said loops.

4. A window guide channel according to claim 1, wherein said outside face of said bottom portion includes anchoring means, an anchoring means being adapted to snap beneath the interior edge of said window trim means and wherein the free end of said leg portions carries upwardly and inwardly extending first lip means and outwardly and downwardly extending second lip means, said second lip means spaced from said anchoring means and adapted to engage an exterior portion of said trim means. 5. A window guide channel according to claim 4, wherein the outer face of said leg portions is provided with teeth adapted to engage an interior portion of `said trim means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,808,582 6/1931 Taylor 156-201 1,834,554 12/1931 Taylor 156-202 4 1,861,034 5/1932 Tannewitz 296-445 1,918,561 7/1933 Reid 296-445 2,102,935 12/1937 Bailey 296-445 2,569,955 10/ 1951 Schassberger. 2,796,960 6/1957 Reynolds 189-72 2,917,340 12/1959 Hencken 296-445 2,969,252 1/1961 Gruver 20-56 3,131,439 5/1964 Wilfert 20-52 3,146,800 9/ 1964 Brown 139-384 FOREIGN PATENTS 560,433 9/1957 Belgium.

728,391 11/1942 Germany.

913,738 6/ 1954 Germany.

609,176 9/ 1948 Great Britain.

828,278 2/1960 Great Britain.

464,290 6/ 1951 Italy.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, KENNETH DOWNEY,

Examiners. A. I. BREIER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A WINDOW GUIDE CHANNEL OF THE TYPE A USHAPED CROSS-SECTION DEFINING TWO SIDE PORTIONS AND AN INTEGRAL INTERCONNECTING BOTTOM PORTION AND INCLUDING LINING MEANS INSIDE SAID CHANNEL ADAPTED TO RECEIVE PERIMETRAL AND MARGINAL AREAS OF A SLIDABLE WINDOW PANE, THE IMPROVEMENT IN SAID LINING MEANS COMPRISING A ONE-PIECE BASE SHEET BONDED TO SAID SIDE AND BOTTOM PORTIONS OF SAID CHANNEL AND FOLLOWING THE INSIDE CONTOUR THEREOF ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE AREA OF SAID SIDE PORTIONS AND SAID BOTTOM PORTION WHEN VIEWED IN SECTION AND A PLURALITY OF RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE LOOPS EXTENDING PARALLEL WITH THE LENGTH DIMENSION OF SAID CHANNEL AND PROTRUD- 